Robert parker



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT PARKER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JACOB F.ASSENHEIMER AND DENNIS WHITE, OF SAME PLACE.

SPRING ROCKING CHAHQ.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 542,941, dated July 16,1895.

Application filed June 8,1893. Serial No. 476,934- {No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT PARKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Spring Rocking-hairs, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention consists of certain improvements in that class ofrockingchairs in which the chair-rockers are mounted upon pedestals; andthe invention has for one of its objects the disposing of thereturn-spring so that it may operate to better advantage than usual, andfor a further object the adjusting of the tension of the spring so as tosuit the weight of the occupant of the chair.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional viewof a rockingchair constructed in accordance with my in vention, part ofthe spring being broken away to illustrate the mechanism behind it. Fig.2 is an inverted sectional plan view on the line 1 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3is a transverse sectional view of the adjusting-crank and itslocking-bolt.

In chairs of the class to which my invention relates it has been usualto employ verticallydisposed springs between the pedestal and the chair;but the location of the springs is not such as to employ the spring tothe best advantage, the extent of movement being limited and heavysprings being required. In order to overcome these objections I use ahorizontal spring in the manner hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the pedestal of the chair; B,the seat portion, provided with rockers G, which rest upon the pedestal,and D an arm projecting upward from'and forming practically part of thepedestal-frame near the front of the chair, 'said arm terminating in aneye (1, to which is attached the front end of the spring E, the oppositeend of the spring being secured to a lug e, attached to the seat-frame,so that in using the chair the spring will pull directly between thepoints at and e and will operate to better advantage than usual, besidespermitting a greater extent of movement of the seat portion when thechair is in use.

Secured to the under side of the seatportion B is a cross-bar F, onwhich is guided a horizontal slide G, provided with slots 9, to whichare adapted guiding and retaining screws 72. on the cross-bar, so as topermit of the longitudinal adjustment of the slide Gin the direction ofthe line of the spring E.

The slide is provided with a rack I, preferably formed on the slide, andadapted to engage with said rack is a pinion 11, mounted upon a shaft K,held in a bearing at one end of the shaft and at the opposite endextending through a bearing-plate Z, the outer face of which is providedwith a series of ratchet-teeth m, with which is adapted to engage a boltn, secured to or forming part of a spring-arm N, carried by an adjListing-crank O, the bolt preferably extending through the crank, so asto economize space, and the spring N acting as a cover for the bolt andthe end of the shaft K. By this means the occupant of the seat may byturning the crank adjust the tension of the spring to suit the weight,the chair being thus readily convertible to suit any conditions of use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. The combination in a pedestal rocking chair, of thepedestal, the chair having rockers resting thereon, an adjustable slidecarried by. said chair, means for locking said slide in its adjustedposition and a coiled spring connected at one end to the pedestal and atthe other end to the slide, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, in a pedestal rocking chair, of the pedestal, thechair having rockers resting thereon, a slide guided on said chair, arack on said slide, a pinion adapted to engage with said rack, a shaftcarrying said pinion, a crank on said shaft, locking mechanism for saidcrank, and a spring extending between the slide and the pedestal,substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT PARKER. Witnesses:

H. F. REARDON, FRANK E. BECHTOLD.

